1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns the field of mechanical buckle connectors for releasably connecting two objects.
2. Description of the State of the Art
During a search for patents related to the present invention, the following U.S. patents were noted: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,987,652; 5,702,135; 4,991,272; 4,796,308; 4,764,989; 3,373,444 and 3,273,163.
The prior art includes a large number and variety of buckle connectors comprising cooperating clip members for releasably connecting two objects such as a pair of straps, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,272, for example, or a container and a lid, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,135, for example. Typically, these buckle connectors comprise a first clip member connected to a first object and a second clip member connected to a second object. The first clip member has a slot and at least one shoulder. The second clip member has at least one stop which is mounted on a flexible member of the second clip member. The stop is operable, in a first position, and inoperable in a second position, to engage the shoulder of the first clip member so that, when the stop is in the first position, the clip members and the objects to which they are attached, are releasably connected. The flexible member biases the stop towards the first position and the bias can be overcome in two ways. First, the clip members are provided with a cam surface and a cam that cooperate, when the second member is being inserted into the slot of the first member, to overcome the bias and move the stop to the second position. When the insertion proceeds to a point where the stop is past the shoulder, the flexible member moves the stop to the first position thereby releasably connecting the clip members. Second, when the clip members are connected, the bias can be overcome manually by applying a force to the stop or to the flexible member so that the second clip member can be removed or withdrawn from the first clip member.
These kinds of prior art buckle connectors have significant limitations. The flexible members are inherently weak because they are designed to have limited strength so that they may be manually manipulated to overcome their bias when it is desired to disconnect the clip members. Yet, by design, these flexible members must withstand the stresses that arise from forces that would otherwise disconnect the clip members. A primary failure mode for these prior clips is shearing and/or fracturing of the flexible members. Another drawback to these types of prior clips arises from the need to align the first and second clip members in order to connect them.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a buckle connector that is stronger than prior buckles.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a buckle connector comprising first and second clip members that are easy to connect and disconnect.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a buckle connector that is especially suited to releasably connecting a strap to a helmet.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a buckle connector that is especially suited to connecting two straps to each other.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention shall be apparent from the following detailed description with reference, therein, to the several drawing figures.